88 pc slum dwellers have no access to water, sanitation

Eighty-eight percent of the slum dwellers in the capital have no access to drinking water, and proper sanitation and sewerage services, experts said.
“There are about five million people in 3,400 slums of the capital. Of them, the Dhaka WASA (Water Supply & Sewerage Authority) has given only 2,174 legal water supply connections in 375 slums,” managing director of DWASA Taqsem A Khan said at a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony held at a city hotel yesterday.
The DWASA signed the MoU with NGO Forum for public health to improve the access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene promotion services in a coordinated way for the urban poor living in the slums in Dhaka and Narayanganj cities.
Commercial manager of DWASA Uttam Kumar Roy and Executive Director of NGO Forum for public health SMA Rashid signed the MoU on behalf of their respective organisations. “The basic rights of millions of slum dwellers, including availability of safe water and improved sanitation, are imperative to mainstream the potentials of these disadvantaged communities,” SMA Rashid said while explaining the project’s objective.
Around 4.5 million people in the low income communities (LICs), especially in slums, are still deprived of their basic rights, he said, adding, “It is their basic rights to get drinking water and sanitation services. The government should give legal water connections to these LICs.” Around 85,000 slum dwellers are now getting DWASA services and safe water, Uttam Kumar Roy said.
“It is a challenging job to ensure supply of safe water and sewerage services including sanitation for the huge number of slum dwellers. There are some rules to get DWASA services. Now, we have decided to supply water and other facilities to slums through NGOs,” he added.
The DWASA earned Tk12 lakh as revenue in the last month from slums. “We are still deprived of revenue earning from many slums as they have no legal connections,” he said.  
The DWASA has already given legal connections in Korail, Sat-tala, Kalyanpur, BNP slums and many other slums in Mirpur areas too, Roy said.  “WE have taken various initiatives. The DWASA will supply pure drinking water including providing healthy sanitation in all city slums,” Taqsem A Khan said.

88 pc slum dwellers have no access to water, sanitation

Eighty-eight percent of the slum dwellers in the capital have no access to drinking water, and proper sanitation and sewerage services, experts said. There are about five million people in 3,400 slums of the capital. Of them, the Dhaka WASA (Water Supply Sewerage Authority) has given only 2,174 legal water supply connections in 375 slums, managing director of DWASA Taqsem A Khan said at a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony held at a city hotel yesterday. The DWASA signed the MoU with NGO Forum for public health to improve the access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene promotion services in a coordinated way for the urban poor living in the slums in Dhaka and Narayanganj cities. Commercial manager of DWASA Uttam Kumar Roy and Executive Director of NGO Forum for public health SMA Rashid signed the MoU on behalf of their respective organisations. The basic rights of millions of slum dwellers, including availability of safe water and improved sanitation, are imperative to mainstream the potentials of these disadvantaged communities, SMA Rashid said while explaining the projects objective. Around 4.5 million people in the low income communities (LICs), especially in slums, are still deprived of their basic rights, he said, adding, It is their basic rights to get drinking water and sanitation services. The government should give legal water connections to these LICs. Around 85,000 slum dwellers are now getting DWASA services and safe water, Uttam Kumar Roy said. It is a challenging job to ensure supply of safe water and sewerage services including sanitation for the huge number of slum dwellers. There are some rules to get DWASA services. Now, we have decided to supply water and other facilities to slums through NGOs, he added. The DWASA earned Tk12 lakh as revenue in the last month from slums. We are still deprived of revenue earning from many slums as they have no legal connections, he said. The DWASA has already given legal connections in Korail, Sat-tala, Kalyanpur, BNP slums and many other slums in Mirpur areas too, Roy said. WE have taken various initiatives. The DWASA will supply pure drinking water including providing healthy sanitation in all city slums, Taqsem A Khan said.